As years went by, I started to realize that there was a whole world of opportunities for PhDs beyond the bench – careers that were just as intellectually stimulating and still scratched that scientific itch without ever having to pick up a pipette. However, the road to reach these careers was a bit foggier compared to academia. Did I need to do a postdoc? How important are publications? How do I make myself stand out?
Following in the footsteps of Montgomery and Baltimore counties, Frederick County will hold its first Biotech Bootcamp program this upcoming January and February. A joint project between Frederick Community College, Workforce Services and the Office of Economic Development, the first Frederick Biotech Bootcamp will provide 15 participants with the opportunity to learn the basics of the biotechnology industry.
Rockville, Maryland’s American Gene Technologies (AGT) is on a mission to cure HIV. And they just achieved another important milestone in that potentially groundbreaking journey.
In early November 2021, the company announced that the third patient in its first-in-human study for AGT103-T, a cell therapy for HIV, had been dosed with no serious adverse events. This latest milestone achievement moves the company and its team another step closer to curing HIV and making history.
The solution to finding a career with similar purpose and meaning could await you in the life sciences industries, where we don’t make widgets. We make products that save, protect, enhance, and empower people every day, and we need veterans in our workforce to be successful.
There is a growing movement of professionals seeking jobs with a purpose. The mission-driven culture of a company is a powerful attraction for those value-driven prospective applicants. Curing HIV is one of the bolder missions to be found in the I-270 technology corridor. With its bold mission to develop a cure for HIV, American Gene Technologies Business Development head Norman Rogers said that it’s an “attractive position for people who want a front seat to history.”
Biotech talent from the manufacturing floor and the lab to senior managers and c-suite executives are scarce. Talent managers and recruiters are fighting tooth and nail to attract, hire, and retain the right candidates for key positions. If you’re a passive or an active life sciences job seeker, this imbalance between job openings and qualified candidates means you’re in the driver’s seat, not only when it comes to securing your next dream opportunity, but also in the leverage you hold when negotiating your next employment contract.
The BioHealth Capital Region (BHCR) continues to establish itself as the go-to hub for biotech startups and corporations. As we previously reported, BHCR startups secured important investment in 2019, including venture funding and IPOs of more than $739M in total investment raised. To keep the momentum strong and ensure that BHCR startups are set up for success, our region must develop and implement a robust infrastructure and network that enables innovative ideas to progress from research and invention to market commercialization.
Over the next few years, thousands of new positions in the biopharma and life sciences industry are expected to open up across the BioHealth Capital Region and the greater Philadelphia area known as Cellicon Valley.
Whether you are fresh out of the university or a seasoned veteran, many job seekers question whether or not they should aim for large biopharmaceutical companies, such as AstraZeneca, Pfizer or GlaxoSmithKline, or look at nimble, growth-stage companies, such as American Gene Technologies, Vita Therapeutics, or BioFactura, Inc., which is currently scaling their cGMP and Quality operations.
Thanks to a unique partnership between GlaxoSmithKline and Montgomery College, students who are interested in pursuing a biotech career no longer must face this crossroad. They can now have the best of both worlds – earning a respected biotech associate degree from Montgomery College all while gaining specialized, hands-on job experience on the grounds of GSK.
Whether you’re just starting your biotech career or have a long tenure at your current employer, deciding when to make a career move can be extremely stressful and challenging, especially in a chaotic job market disrupted and reshaped by a global pandemic.
